Texas Officials Demand Records From Planned Parenthood Health Centers

Texas officials showed up at Planned Parenthood offices in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio on Thursday with subpoenas to demand records and other materials.

The visits followed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision this week to drop Planned Parenthood from the state’s Medicaid program and cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood affiliated clinics.

Ken Lambrecht, Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas president and CEO, said in a statement the Texas Office of Inspector General showed up at Planned Parenthood's office in Dallas "and requested hundreds of pages of detailed documents from at least 10 different health centers ranging back to 2010."

Lambrecht said the information requested is located in health centers and a medical storage facilities "spanning Austin to Waco to Paris (Texas), to Dallas. He said the officials demanded the information be handed over in 24 hours

"We will make every effort to comply with the state’s request but see this is an excuse to take healthcare away from thousands of women and men who rely on Planned Parenthood for preventive care. We comply with all state laws and regulations," Lambrecht stated. "Protecting the confidentiality of our patients and employees is paramount. We will do everything we can to ensure their confidentiality as we cooperate with the state's request."

Chris Cutrone, spokesman for the Texas Office of Inspector General for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, said he could not release details on any investigative of oversight functions of the office. He declined to answer further questions in an interview with NBC News.

Kelly Hart, a spokeswoman of Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas in Dallas told WFAA-TV that the requested information included home addresses of all employees.

The San Antonio Express News reported the governor’s office showed up with subpoenas for state and patient records and records were handed over.

“Gov. Abbot’s political grandstanding is on full display this morning,” Yvonne Yvonne Gutierrez, executive director of Planned Parenthood Texas Votes, an advocacy arm of the organization, said in a statement to NBC News.

The records demands of Planned Parenthood come amid a national uproar over undercover video released by anti-abortion activists showing discussion of fetal tissue sales. They have been used to accuse Planned Parenthood of profiting from abortions, but it has since been shows that the videos have were heavily edited.

Planned Parenthood, which provides reproductive and maternity health care as well as HIV testing and cancer screenings and abortions in some clinics, has denied wrongdoing.

The organization also has said although it would maintain programs that make fetal tissue available for research, it would no longer accept payment to cover the costs of the programs.

"Let us us be completely clear — our health center doors are open — healthcare happens here. Texans know that Planned Parenthood provides expert, compassionate, and quality health care. Despite this unprecedented level of harassment by elected and state officials in Texas, our health center doors are open," Lambrecht said.